Vegetarian Recipe Blog

Rice, Kichidi Pulao Varieties

I am usually on the lookout for new and interesting ideas to pack for my lunch. I prefer light lunches that way I continue feeling alert in the afternoons.

This rice recipe with cabbage works well, as it is light and not too heavy. It is easy to make and does not take a long time. If there is some left over rice from the previous night, then this gets done in a jiffy. All that is needed is to season and sauté the vegetables and then mix the powder and rice.

I use the readymade MTR brand Vaangi Bhaat powder (easily available in the Indian store) for this dish. It is so flavorful and enhances the taste of cooked vegetables. Some people, who do not like cabbage, prefer eating this rice without problems. In this dish I do not add onions or garlic or tomatoes, but you can add it if you choose to.

I change the vegetable depending on what is available in the fridge it could be capsicum, cabbage, eggplant, potato or even carrots.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice (raw)

3 cups finely chopped cabbage

1 Tbsp vaangi bhat powder ( I use MTR brand readymade)

½ tsp red chilli powder

1 Tbsp urad daal

2 Tbsp peanuts

5-10 curry leaves

2 Tbsp coriander leaves (for garnish)

1 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp jeera seeds

Juice of half lemon (optional)

2 Tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Cook the rice separately either on stove top or pressure cooker using enough water. Make sure it cooks well without getting mushy.

Take a plate and spread out the rice, add little oil and make sure there are no lumps.

I had briefly mentioned about our picnic at the park in my earlier post in which few families got together and did a potluck. With heat looming, it was a weekend well spent, as the kids spent hours together splashing in the water, while the adults stayed in the shade chatting and enjoying the assortment of delicious food.

The theme was chosen as Mexican cuisine and everybody pitched in food ideas. Some criteria to keep in mind was that the food had to be kid friendly, easily transportable and would not perish soon.

I prepared this Mexican Rice along with Corn Salsa and Guacamole. This Mexican rice turned out to be a hit among the kids. Colorful and not too spicy, it has a mild flavor with a tangy taste. It formed a good accompaniment with topping of shredded cheese, some nachos and corn salsa on the side.

As you know, Biryani is rice based dish jazzed with meat, vegetables, dry fruits and aromatic spices which engulfs the taste buds. People who are experts in making this labor for hours in the kitchen to come up with its exotic taste.

However this is a recipe for Biryani we came up with when we craved for something delicious and aromatic, but were not willing to spend hours together in the kitchen. Being close to the weekend the pantry was empty and we were short on vegetables, so we decided to use just potatoes in this dish. You can add more vegetables like cauliflower, green beans, and carrots etc to this recipe and make it wholesome.

When served along with raita it is a satisfying meal by itself.

Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients:

2cups Basmati Rice

2 medium potatoes(peeled and chopped in cubes)

1 big onion (chopped lengthwise into thin long pieces)

4-5 green chillies (slit)

2 tsp ginger + garlic paste

4 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves

10-15 mint leaves (chopped)

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin coriander powder

A pinch of saffron in 1 Tbsp warm milk

2 Tbsp Yogurt/ curd

5-10 cloves

4-5 cinnamon pieces

2-3 cardamom pods crushed

10-15 cashew pieces (optional)

2 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

Salt

Oil

Method:

Soak the basmati rice in enough water for at least an hour. Drain water after that.

Cooking Rice: Next boil about 6-7 cups of water and add the soaked rice, along with salt, oil, few 2-3 cloves, 1 cinnamon and 2 cardamom pods.

The rice cooks pretty fast in about 8-10 minutes and also it is fragrant. When it is about ¾ cooked, drain the water from the rice and set aside.

Crisping onions: Take a heavy bottom pan and heat oil and fry the onion in them, they turn brown fast. Transfer them onto a paper towel. Retain the remaining oil in the pan itself.

In the same pan in which the onions were crisped, heat the oil (that was left out from frying the onions).

Add the remaining cloves, cinnamon, cardamom pods and toss it around. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook until it is light brown.

Add the chopped potato, salt and mix until the edges are browned. Add the cumin coriander powder, garam masala powder and the slit green chillies.

Add the yogurt to this and mix well. Take half the portion of this cooked potato and keep aside. This is used to form layers.

To the potato mixture in the pan, add the mint and coriander leaves , little dry fruits, part of the crisp onions.

Add 1/2 the quantity of rice on top of this to form the second layer.

Next on top of this, add the cooked potatoes, dry fruits, slit green chillies and onions. Top it with coriander leaves, mint leaves.

Add the remaining rice in a neat layer on top of this. Sprinkle the saffron milk neatly in a circular fashion.

Add the ghee, left over onions, coriander leaves, nuts and cover this with air tight lid and cook for another 10 minutes on low heat.